Entrepreneurs of the future unveiled in Bristol

The University of Bristol has announced this year's finalists for its annual New Enterprise Competition.

The University of Bristol has announced this year's finalists for its annual
New Enterprise Competition, designed to inspire new high growth business ideas and entrepreneurial talent in the region.

The seven short-listed entrants, those who have submitted the best business ideas as judged by a panel of experts, include a range of ideas to improve safety, promote health and well being, and help cope with the pace of modern life. One finalist has devised a medical device to assist couples trying to have a baby, while another is using the "Children of the 90s" database to improve the way new medicines are developed. One team has developed a new light-emitting technology to enhance the visibility of cyclists, while another will build ultrafast semiconductor chips where electric currents are replaced by lightwaves. Also among the finalists are an online security risk analysis service to help organisations to succeed in today's increasingly hazardous world and technologies to make it easier to input data into computers and to deal with the growing problem of unwanted e-mails.

Each finalist has won an interim prize of £250 and will be invited to prepare full business plans and a presentation, for which professional business advice will be available. The winners will be announced in July.

Launched in October each year, the competition is open to students, staff and recent graduates of the University. There is a £30,000 prize fund including cash, free professional business advice and managed office space to help make business ideas a commercial success. Sponsors include Bankside, Deloitte & Touche, Fortis Bank, Osborne Clarke, STMicroelectronics and Sulis Innovation.

The New Enterprise Competition is part of the University of Bristol's commitment to combining its excellence in research and innovation with a vibrant enterprise culture. The University is working with government, industry and other partner organisations to encourage the growth of knowledge-based businesses in the South West.